Ington



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1.

. O. 0. WORTHINGTON.

- DRAINING STEAM JAGKETS. N0. 345,469. Patented July 13, 1886. v

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. O. WORTHINGT ON. DRAINING STEAM JACKETS.

jackets.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. WORTHINGTON, OF IRVINGTON, NEW YORK.

DRAINING STEAM-JACKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,469, dated July11%, 1886.

Application filed February 27, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. WORTH- INGTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing atIrvington, county of Westchester, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forDraining Steam-Jackets and other Similar Apparatus, fully described andrepresented in the following specification and the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for withdrawing the waterresulting from condensation from steam jackets, heaters, and othersimilar apparatus, said apparatus being so constructed and organizedthat the water can be restored to the boiler without the necessity offorcing it against the pressure of the steam therein, and also that thestarting and stopping of the pump by which the water is restored to theboiler is made automatic, thereby dispensing with the attendance of anengineer.

As a full understanding of the invention can be best imparted by adetailed description of the construction and organization of thecomplete apparatus, all further preliminary description will be omittedand a full description given, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating theoperation of the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional detailsof the valve or cook apparatus for controlling the operation of thesteam-pump for restoring the water to the boiler, Fig. 2 being takenupon the line 00 w of Figs. 1 and 3, and Fig. 8 upon the line x w ofFig. 2. Fig. l'is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating amodification,which will be hereinafter explained.

Referring to said figures, it is to be understood that 10 11 representthe high-pressure cylinders, and 12 13 the expanding cylinders, of anordinary compound duplex engine, these cylinders being provided withordinary steam- The cylinders 10-11 receive steam from the boiler Athrough the usual steamconnections, 1 1 15, and after the steam hasacted in these cylinders it is exhausted in the usual manner into thereheater 20, from which it passes through the pipes 6 7 to thesteamchests 8 9 of the expanding-cylinders 12 13,

Serial no. 151, 163. (No model.)

from which cylinders it is exhausted into the condenser, or into theopen air. The pipe 15 is provided with a branch, 5, which is connectedthrough branches, as 4, with the reheater 20, and with the steamjacketsupon the cylinders 10 11 and 12 13, so that this reheater nections(represented by the pipes 16) by which 1 any water resulting fromcondensation is withdrawn from the reheater and jackets as fast as itaccumulates therein.

The parts thus far described are simply illustrative of theconstructions which are in common use.

The pipe 16, into which the water is drained from the reheater 20 andthe jackets of the steam-cylinders, is connected to a closed tank, B,which is located in any convenient position, but upon a lower level thanthe steam-jackets, and in which the water accumulates under a pressuredue to the steam in the boiler A. The tank B is provided at a point nearits bottom with a pipe, 25, which leads to the suction-chamber of apump, 0, the force-chamber of which is connected by a pipe, 24, with theboiler A.

The pump 0, as shown in the present case, is an ordinary direct actingduplex steampump of the well-known construction manufactured by Henry R.Worthington, and therefore needs no specific description.

The operation of the apparatus thus far de: scribed is as follows: Thethrottle-valve 3 in the pipe 5 being opened, the steam from the boiler Awill pass through the pipe 15 into the branch5, and thence through thebranches 4 into the reheater 20, and the jackets of the steam-cylinders10, 11, 850., in which reheater and jackets it will circulate in theusual manner, after which any of the steam which remains uncondensedwill be forced through the 'pipes 16 into the tank 13, so that the waterresulting from the condensation of the steam in the reheater andjackets, which flows through the pipe 16 into the chamber 13, willaccumu- .late therein under a pressure equal to, or substantially equalto, that of the boiler. The pump 0 being then set in motion, the waterwill be withdrawn from the tank B through the pipe 25 and forced throughthe pipe 2* into the boiler; but the water in the tank B, andconsequently in the suction-chamber of the pump, being under a pressureequal, or substantially equal, to that existing in the boiler, the onlylabor which the pump will be called upon to perform will be that ofraising the water from the level of the tank to the level of the boiler,thus effecting a saving of labor equal to that of forcing the wateragainst a pressure equal to that of the steam in the boiler.

In an apparatus of this character it will of course not be necessarythat the pump Cshould operate continuously, and it is therefore dosirable that means should be provided by which the operation of the pumpshall be controlled by the accumulation of water in the tank B, so thatwhenever sufficient water accumulates in the tank to make it desirableto have it withdrawn the pump will be set in op eration, and that assoon as the water in the tank has been withdrawn the pump will bestopped. In the apparatus heretofore devised for accomplishing thisresult the steam for operating the pump has been supplied directly fromthe boiler, and the pipe through which the steam passed to the pump wasprovided with a cock, which was controlled by a float which rode uponthe surface of the water in the tank. In the present organization,however, the pipe 23, through which the steam is sup plied for operatingthe pump 0, is connected to the upper side of the tank B, so that thesteam for operating the pump is drawn from the tank instead of from theboiler or other source. The end of the pipe 23 which enters the tank Bis provided with a cock, 22, the plug 21 of which is provided with anoperating-lever, 19, to the end of which is attached a hollowsheet-metal float, 30,which rides upon the surface of the water in thetank. By thus taking the steam for operating the pump from the tank Bthe steam is caused to circulate more freely and rapidly through thereheater and the steam-jackets, and thus better results are attained. Bythis means also'the cock or valve for controlling the supply of steam tothe pump is located within the tank, so that no stufling-boxes arerequired in the walls of the tank, and thus leakage is prevented.

The operation of this cock apparatus in controlling the movements of thepump 0 is as follows: \Vhenever the water in the tank B has accumulatedto such an extent as to make it desirable to withdraw it, the float 30,riding upward upon the surface of the water, will have turned the plug21 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to open the cook 22 andallow the steam to pass from the tank B through the pipe 23 to thesteam-cylinders of the pump and set the pump in motion. The pump beingthus set in motion,the water will be withdrawn from the tank B andforced into the boiler A until the level of the waterin the tank islowered to such an extent that the float 30, riding downward upon itssurface, turns the plug 2l,so as to close the cock and shut off thefurther passage of steam to the steam-cylinders of the pump, and therebyarrests the pump. The pump thus arrested will remain so until the waterhas again accumulated in the tank B, when the operation just describedwill be repeated.

In using hollow floats-such as the float 30- in those positions wherethey are subjected to pressure, as in the present casc,great difficultyhas heretofore been experienced, by reason of the fact that more or lessWater is forced through the pores of the metal composing the float,so asto accu mulate upon theinside, and in time fill or nearly fill thefloat, so as to destroy its buoyancy. In order to overcome thisdefeet,in the present case I provide the plug 21. and the lever 19 witha longitudinal duct, 2, which opens communication between the interiorof the float 30 and the transverse port 1 of the plug. By thismeans,wheneverthe float is in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, sothat the cook 22 is opened,the steam from the tank B passes through theduct 2'and fills the float, so that the same pressure exists upon theinterior of the float as upon its exterior, thereby preventing any waterfrom being forced through the pores of the metal by the pressure in thetank. The port 1 is made of such shape, as shown in Fig 3, that when thewater falls in the tank,so as to allow the float 30 to fall and closethe cook 22, communication will still remain open between the interiorof the float and the pipe 23 5 but the pressure in the pump being thenless than that in the tank B, any water which may have accumulated inthe float from condensation will be at once converted into steam andpass off through the duct 2 and pipe 23, thus keeping the interior ofthe float free from any accumulation of water.

It will readily be seen that many modiflca tions may be made in thedetails of the cock apparatus just described without departing from theessential features of the invention or losing its advantages. Forexample, as shown in Fig. 4, the opening and closing of the pipe 23, soas to start and stop the pump 0, may be effected by means of a valveinstead of a cock. For this purpose the pipe 23 is caused to enter theside of the tank B instead of its top, and the edge of the opening uponthe interior of the tank is arranged to form a seat, upon which the endof the tubular lever 19 rests, so as to surround and close the openingleading to the pipe 23 when the float 30 is lowered by the withdrawal ofthe water from the tank, and. to be raised from said seat, so as toallow the steam to pass from the tank into the pipe 23,when the float israised by the accumulation of the water, as shown in Fig. 4. Theoperation of the apparatus when thus constructed, as will readily beseen, will be the same as that already detion from a steam jacket,heater, or similar apscribed.

Many other modifications may be readily made in the construction of thecook or valve apparatus Without departing from the invention; but theconstructions shown are thought sufficient to impart a full knowledge ofthe principle of the invention.

In conclusion, it is to be remarked that although it is preferable thatthe pump 0 should be of the duplex form, as shown, yet the style of thepump may be varied or other forms of pump employed Without departingwholly from the invention. It is also to be remarked that the inventionis herein shown as applied to the steam-jackets and reheater of acompound engine simply for the purpose of illustrating its operation.Its application is not limited to this class of engines or to any classof engines, as it may be successfully employed in any case where it isdesired to withdraw the water of condensation from the cylinders of anengine, or from a jacket, heater, or analogous apparatus.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with the closed tank B, arranged toreceive the water of condensaparatus, of a pump arranged to withdraw thewater from the tank, connections between the tank and pump by which thesteam for operating the pump is taken from the tank, a cock or valve forcontrolling the supply of steam to the pump, and a float within the tankfor controlling said cook or valve, substantially as described.

, 2. The combination, with the closed tank B, of the closed hollow float30, provided with the duct 2, which is arranged to communicate with theexterior of the tank, whereby the water forced into the float will passoff in the form of steam, substantially as described.

3. The closed hollow float 30, provided with the duct 2, which isarranged to communicate with the interior of the tank, and with the pipe23, according to the position of the float, substantial] y as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

, CHARLES C. WORTHINGTON. Witnesses:

W. A. P. BICKNELL, T. H. PALMER.

